Battery terminal clamp



p 1961 J. A. WIORA 3,000,998

BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed April 16, 1959 INVENTOR.

nite States The present invention relates to a novel terminal clamp, and more particularly to a novel clamp or connecter especially snitable for use With a battery terminal or the like.

It is an important object et the prcsent invention to provide a novel terminal clamp which is constructed so as to obtain an improved mechanical and electrical connection with electrical wires or cables.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel clamp or connecter which is constructed so that it is especially adapted for application to battery terminals and the like of various sizes or diameters.

Apfu1ther object of the present invention is to provide a novel battery terminal clamp of the above described type which is et simple, economical and rugged construction.

A more speeific object of the present invention is to provide a novel battery terminal clamp of the above described type which is constructed so as to obtain an improved mechanical and electrical connection with electrical wires or cables et difierent diameters.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an electrical wire or cable connected with a battery terminal by means of a terminal clamp constructed in accordance With features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing clements of the novel battery terminal clamp shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view taken along line 44 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a battery terminal clamp 10 is shown for the purpose of illnstrating the present invention, which clamp is adapted electrically and mechanically to connect a wire or cable 12 with a terminal 14 of a battery 16. It Will be understood, of course, that the clamp may be used for connecting wires or cables with terminals of other structures. In general, the clamp structure 10 comprises a member 18 which may be economically formed front suitahle sheet metal, and a complementary bolt 20 and nut 22 for tightening the clamping member 18 on the wire or cable 12 and the terminal 14 in the manner descnbed in detail below.

The onepiece sheet metal clamping member 18 is provided With opposing generally straight clamping sections 24 and 26, which, as indicated in FIG. 2, are initially disposed in substantiafly parallel relationship. An intermediate loop section 28 is provided betweeen and integrally joins the clamping sections 24 and 26. As shown in the drawings, the loop section 28 is adapted to encircle the battery terminal 14 and the clamping sections 24 and 26 are adapted to grip and retain an end portion of the cable 12. The clamping sections 24 and are, respectively, provided with generally aligned apertures 30 and 32 at locations between their ends for receiving a threadei shank 34 of the bolt 20 so that when the nut 22 is threaded onto the bolt the clamping member 18 may be tightened on the battery terminal 14 and the cable 12.

It Will be appreciated that batteries are frequenfly pr vided with terminals of diterent diameters. In order to enable the clamping member 18 to be applied to the larger battery terminals usually encountered as well as smaller terminale, the p section 28 is initially provided with a generally U-shaped configuration as indicated in FIG. 2. Furthermare, it is important to note that the looped section 28 initially entends laterally ontwardly from the clamping section 24 while the section 26 initially provides a snbstanfiafly straight continuation et the 100p section, and also that the junction 36 between the 100p section 28 and the clamping section 26 is of substantially reduced width as compared with the remainder of the 100p section. Thus, when the clamping sections 24 and 26 are drawn together by the nut and bolt means, the clamping member 18 Will bend along the junction line 36 relatively easily so as to enable the loop section 28 to be formed around and aggressively tightened against the terminal 14 regardless of the diameter of the terminal, within, of course, reasonable Thus, t is seen that the full length of the 100p section 28 is utilized for obtaining a mechanical and electrical connection With the terminal 14.

As shown in the drawings, flanges 38 and 49 are formed integrally with opposite longitudinally extending margins of the clamping section 24 and extend laterally for overlapping and embracing the clamping section 26. As indicated in FIG. 2, the lateral extent of the fianges 38 and 40 is preferably substantially equal to the initial or normal spacing of the clampng sections 24 and 26. Thus, the clamping sections 24 and 26 and the flanges 38 and 40 combined together to provide an adjnstable tubular closure for accommodafing wires or cables of difierent sizes or diameters. The flanges 38 and 40 also serve to strengthen and rigidify the section 24, and in this connection additional flanges 42 and 44 are formed integrally with longitudinafly extending margins of the clamping section 26 and extend laterally therefrom in the manner shown.

It is to be noted that outer end portions 46 and 48 of the clamping sections 24 and 26 are formed so that they entend in generally parallel relationship and diagonally With respect to the remaindtr of the clamping sections as shown best in FIG. 3. As a result, the cable 12 will be bent into a zig-mg shape as shown in FIG. 3 when the clamping sections are tightened. Thus, a positive mechanical as Well as frictional connection is obtained between the clamping sections and the sable. Furthermore. the bending or fiexing of the cable promotes. spreading and fiattening of the cable, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, so that the cable extends substantiatly entirely across the clamping sections regardless of the initial diameter of the cable. As a result, the terminal clamp is adapted to accommodate cables of various diameters and still obtain a maximum area of contact between the clamp and the cable regardless of the diameter of the cable. Spreading of the end portion of the cable in order to facilitate a superior mechanical and electrical connection is further facitated by constructing the clamping sections 24 and 26 so that they are of progressively increasing width in a direction extending from their free ends toward the intermediate 100p section. In order to minimize any possibility of cutting strands of the cable 12, a free terminal edge 50 of the end portion 45 is rounded as shown in FIG. 3, and the end portion 48 may be similarly ronnded.

As shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bolt 20 is provided with an elongated relatively thin head 52, and the bolt is preferably made so that the head is relatively easily deformable. The head 52 is formed so that it normafly 3 i radiates in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the bolt shank 34 and extends to and preferably slighfly past the narrow jonction 36 between the clamping section 26 and the 100p section 28 and also for a substantial distance toward the outer end portion of the clamping section 26. When the clampng member 13 is draWn together by the bolt and nut means, the section 26 is shifted from a posi. tion generally parallel to the section 24 to a position more or less inclined with respect to the clamping section 24, depending on the diameter of the battery terminal M and the diameter of the cable 12. As a resuit of the constructien et the bolt head described above, the bolt head will automafically be formed during tightening of the nut to accommodate the inclined position of the clamping sec tion 26 80 as to exert clamping pressure to the section 26 throughout an area extending at least from the jonction 36 to a point extending substantially toward the outer free end of the clamping section. Thus,the clamping forces provided by the nut and bolt are distributed more uniformly over the clamping member 18 to. promote improved engagement of the claniping mmber With the battery terminal and cable.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, it isobvions that many structural details may be changed withowt departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. A battery terminal clamp comprising a one-piece sheet metal member including first and second elongated oppcsing sections forclamping a Wire therebetween and a onepiece bendable loop section between and integrally joined to ends of said clamping sections for encirclng a battery terminal or the like, said clampng sections induding substantially aligned apenturs therethmugh at loca tions between said 100p section and outer end portions of said clamping sections, a bolt including a head overlying one of said clamping sections and a threaded shank extending through said apertures, and a nut threaded onto an outer end of said shank for drawing said clamping sections together, said enter end portions of said clamping sections extending diagonally from the remainder of said clamping sections for imparting a bend to a wire secured between said clamping sections, said bolt head being'rel tively thin and deformahle for conforming to said one clamping section when the nut is tightened for distributing "4 clamping forces more uniformly over said one clamping section.

2. A battery terminal clamp comprising a one-piece sheet metal member inclnding fi'rst and second elongated sections initially disposed in spaced apart generally par-aile] and opposing relationship for clamping a wire therebe tween, a one-piece bendable loop section integrally joined with one end of said first clamping section and initially extending laterally outwardly theretrom away from said second section and then being looped back and integrally joined to said second section, said p section having a prcdetermined Width, the junction'between said loop section and said second clampingsection being of substantial1y reduced Width for facilitafing forming of the loop section around battery terminals or the like of diterent diameters, said clampng sections including substantiafly aligned apertures therethrongh at locations between said 100p section and enter end portions of said c1arnping sections, a bolt including a deformable head portion overlying said second clamping section for conforming to changes in position of the second section during tightening of the clamp and a threaded shank section extending through said apertures, a nt threaded onto an outer end of said shank for drawing said clamping sections together, said outer end portions of said clamping sections extend ing generafly parallel to each other and diagonally disposed with respect to the remainder of said clamping sections for imparting a bend to a wire secnred between said clmping sections, and a pair of flanges respectively integrally joinedto opposite longitudinaledges of said first clamping section and extending toward and overlapping said second clarnping section for confining a Wire between said clamping sections, saidflang'divergng from each otherirga -direction extending awa'y from enter end ortions of said clamping sections, 7

ReEerenaes =Cted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

